Millions in federal education funding to be released to Mat-Su Borough School District

Last Friday, the Trump Administration said it would release several billion dollars in education funding after weeks of those funds being frozen. The funding goes towards various educational programs across the country, including migrant education, teacher and school leader training, and more.

According to Mat-Su Borough School District Public Information Officer John Notestine, the district has relied on that funding in previous years. Last year, those grants provided around 8 million dollars, which funded tutoring programs, swimming lessons, student supplies, internet access, and professional development for teachers and administrators.

Notestine said the release of the federal funds is a breath of fresh air and gives the school district “one less thing to worry about.”

He added that the district is still facing dramatic cuts following Governor Dunleavy’s line-item vetoes to the state budget, which reduced the Base Student Allocation increase from $700 to $500. That decrease left the district with seven million dollars less than it had budgeted for. Notestine added that the district’s top priority is student learning, but the cuts will be extensive.

Notestine said the school board will discuss the budget at their next meeting on August 6th.

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